From Rocks...to Brains | The Institute for Creation Research

From Rocks...to Brains

The secular mantra is ongoing: "Creationism is religion and evolution is science." When evidence is offered for The Non-Darwinian Alternative, evolutionists seem to respond by becoming even more dogmatic in their commitment to metaphysical naturalism.

For example, Eric Chaisson and Steve McMillan display an "Arrow of Time" in their text Astronomy Today. Their description of time’s arrow of "progress" is as amusing as it is unscientific:

The major phases of cosmic evolution [are]: evolution of primal energy into elementary particles; of atoms into galaxies and stars; of stars into heavy elements; of elements into solid, rocky planets; of those same elements into the molecular building blocks of life; of those molecules into life itself; and of advanced life forms into intelligence, culture, and technological civilization.1

This is an overtly religious description. For instance, just what is "primal energy"? Ironically, the two authors said in their opening chapter:

We describe the slow progress of scientific knowledge, from chariots and gods to today’s well-tested theories and physical laws, and explain why we now rely on science rather than on myth to help us explain the universe.2

Apart from the fact that this is a not-so-subtle dig at those who hold to biblical authority, the reader should understand that intelligence and culture evolving from "solid, rocky planets" is not science…rather, it is a strange philosophical conviction. Indeed, a 1964 Nobel Prize winner in physics stated, "Somehow intelligence must have been involved in the laws of the universe."3

Chaisson and McMillan promise to tell how "atoms [became] galaxies and stars." Really? How, exactly, considering that an evolutionist in Scientific American stated:

It might seem that star formation is a problem that has been solved. But nothing could be further from the truth. The birth of stars remains one of the most vibrant topics in astrophysics today.4

They also describe "elements [turning] into solid, rocky planets," but there are serious scientific problems with this idea of planet formation. In 2011, National Geographic News reported:

The more new planets we find, the less we seem to know about how planetary systems are born, according to a leading planet hunter.5

Our clearly designed solar system further challenges this simplistic Arrow of Time. A New Scientist article stated:

You might also think that these disparate bodies are scattered across the solar system without rhyme or reason. But move any piece of the solar system today, or try to add anything more, and the whole construction would be thrown fatally out of kilter. So how exactly did this delicate architecture come to be?6

Well, at least it’s known how earth’s closest celestial neighbor formed, right? No…an evolutionary website reported in 2008:

The finding [of lunar water] calls into question some critical aspects of the "giant impact" theory of the Moon’s formation.7

Finally, there have always been serious challenges to the bizarre idea that over time inorganic nonlife became organic life. "The origin of animals is almost as much a mystery as the origin of life itself," said one evolutionist.8

If people really want to know their origin, as well as the origin of the universe, they would do well to consult the written record of the One who was there "in the beginning."

References

  1. Chaisson, E. and S. McMillan. 2011. Astronomy Today, 7th ed. Boston: Addison-Wesley, 708.
  2. Ibid, 5.
  3. Begley, S. Science Finds God. Newsweek. July 20, 1998, 48.
  4. Young, E. T. Mysteries of How a Star Is Born. Scientific American, February 1, 2010, 34. See also Thomas, B. Distant Galactic Cluster Should Not Exist. ICR News. Posted on icr. org May 21, 2010.
  5. Lovett, R. A. Three Theories of Planet Formation Busted, Expert Says. National Geographic News. Posted on news.nationalgeographic.com February 22, 2011. See also Asphaug, E. 2009. Growth and Evolution of Asteroids. Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences. 37: 413-48. See generally Spike Psarris’ DVD Our Created Solar System (available from www.creation.com).
  6. Webb, R. 2009. Unknown solar system 1: How was the solar system built? New Scientist. 2693: 31.
  7. Moon water discovered: Dampens Moon-formation theory. Carnegie Institution news release, July 9, 2008, reporting on research published in Saal, A. E. et al. 2008. Volatile content of lunar volcanic glasses and the presence of water in the Moon’s interior. Nature. 454 (7210): 192-195.
  8. Donoghue, P. C. J. 2007. Paleontology: Embryonic identity crisis. Nature. 445 (7124): 155.

* Mr. Sherwin is Research Associate, Senior Lecturer and Science Writer at the Institute for Creation Research.

Cite this article: Sherwin, F. 2011. From Rocks...to Brains. Acts & Facts. 40 (9): 17.

The Latest
NEWS
Liberty and the Word of God
“And I will walk at liberty: for I seek thy precepts” (Psalm 119:45). July 4th is called Independence Day here in our country because on...

NEWS
July 2025 ICR Wallpaper
"These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome...

NEWS
Valued Longtime ICR Employee Mary Smith Retires
Mary Morris Smith, an employee of the Institute for Creation Research for many years, has retired. The second daughter of ICR founder Dr. Henry M. Morris...

NEWS
Man of Science, Man of God: George Washington Carver
Who:  George Washington Carver What: Father of Modern Agriculture When: 1864 or 1865 – January 5, 1943 Where: Diamond Grove,...

ACTS & FACTS
The Scopes Monkey Trial: A Battle of Worldviews
Rhea County Courthouse in Dayton, Tennessee, and its statue of William Jennings Bryan Image credit: M. Mueller The Scopes Monkey...

ACTS & FACTS
Long Non-Coding RNAs: The Unsung Heroes of the Genome
Evolutionary theory holds that all living things came about through random, natural processes. So conventional scientists believe the genome has developed...

ACTS & FACTS
Yosemite National Park, Part 1: Tiny Clues of a Grand Picture
Yosemite National Park in California is a sure source of stunning scenery. It’s no wonder that American naturalist John Muir persuaded President...

ACTS & FACTS
From Inference to Theory: A Common Design Case Study
Without a doubt, humans, chimpanzees, and other organisms share similar features. An early explanation was that these features reflect similar designs...

ACTS & FACTS
Creation Kids: T. rex
by Michael Stamp and Susan Windsor* You're never too young to be a creation scientist and explore our Creator's world. Kids, discover...

ACTS & FACTS
Entering By The Door
Recently, I hosted a visiting pastor from a large church at ICR’s Discovery Center. As I guided him through our Dallas museum, one conversation...